Paris motor show preview

Living up to its “world of cars” name, the biennial Mondial de l’automobile for 2016 promises plenty of visceral excitement as well as the inevitable themes around electric power, connectivity and autonomous driving.

We have seen some of them already. Concepts like the encouragingly Citroensque Citroen CXperience, and the elegant if gargantuan Mercedes-Maybach 6 coupe. Other concepts are promised by Renault, by Lexus – the UX will perhaps be its most polarising design yet – and Mitsubishi with its “Ground Tourer”.

One concept we will have to wait until next week to see is BMW’s response to the Land Rover Evoque. The compact SUV, promising a sporty drive and coupe styling, will wear X2 badges when it morphs from concept to production car – which should happen quickly. Next door to BMW at Mini, the new Countryman should make its bow.

There will, of course, be SUVs everywhere you look at Paris this year, but there will still only be one Land Rover Discovery. We have seen a picture, and watched the film – and how clever is that new seat-folding system? – but still all eyes will be on how it looks  now all the corners have been knocked off its predecessor’s boxy body. We liked the old Disco and the boxy look… but expectations with gen-05 Disco are surely off the scale. 

This will be the most electric car show yet. Quick to show its hand has been Volkswagen with its “Think New” tag for what is described as an iconic (and we haven’t even seen it yet!) design study for a mass market electric car in the tyretracks of Beetle and Golf. Diesel is so last year. VW is not holding back on the hyperbole: “This vehicle has the potential to make history.”

How so? Expect big news from VW on the car’s electric range.

Mercedes is another about to plug in. Electric Smarts we have seen already but Paris gets the concept “of a totally new generation of vehicles with  battery-electric drive.” What will it look like? A lot like the GLC SUV, we believe. It will be what’s underneath that counts.

Winter may be around the corner but fast convertibles never go out of fashion and Paris will be the public debut of two of the fastest: the new Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster and, helping Ferrari mark its 70th birthday, the LaFerrari Aperta.

In the real world the 10^th generation made-in-Britain Honda Civic gets its show debut. Other metal from Paris due in showrooms soon are a new Audi A5 range, new Audi Q5 and the promise of a new compact Audi Sport model. Citroen will be banging the MPV drum (are they still called MPVs?) with its new Picasso. Expect Airbumps like the Cactus. And Peugeot will be continuing to SUV-ise its range - the newest is the 5008.

From South Korea, both Kia and Hyundai will be presenting important new models, while back in Europe and Skoda will be adding to its range with the Kodiaq seven-seat SUV, which looks odds on to be a hit.

Other novelties in the spotlight that we know about are an All Terrain version of the new Mercedes E-class estate.

And what about that Porsche estate? Shooting brake might be more accurate. It’s a more practical version of the new Panamera – not that much more spacious perhaps but there should still be more headroom in the back for the black lab – if he can clamber up through the hatchback. It is based on the Sport Turismo concept that was first showed in Paris four years ago. Like the new sedan with its 911 inspired design, it should look a formidable thing, and is also likely to be available with the new hybrid drivetrain that will be having its debut in Paris in the Panamera sedan.

All this and… yes, lots more, because everyone loves a surprise after all. Which will make this show a good one to visit. The show is open to the public from Saturday October 1 to Sunday October 16 from 10.00 to 20.00 (22.00 on Thursdays and Fridays).

If you fancy a jaunt you can buy an e-ticket for €16 here http://www.mondial-automobile.com/en/visiteurs/

And to get you in the motor show mood… here’s a great little video from British Pathé about the Paris Motor Show of 1965 when a certain luxury British car was unveiled. And when British motor manufacturing “got through the tariff barriers thanks to first class quality at the right price”.